Aviation Area Winds Enhancements

Enhancement to our Aviation Area Winds (AAW) product. 

On 14 October 2026 we will be making a targeted improvement to the display of Aviation Area Winds that supports our ongoing investment in modern, resilient systems and provides additional information to help users make operational decisions. 

What's changing?

The AAW product will be enhanced to display: 

  • 3-hourly forecast steps throughout the validity period 

  • Providing a more complete picture of how wind and temperature conditions are expected to evolve over time 

This enhancement will provide greater visibility of forecast conditions across the entire forecast period, enabling operators to apply their own operational thresholds and determine what changes are significant for their specific needs. 

What does the change look like?

Before:

After:

Why are we making this change? 

This enhancement supports several improvements we are making to the way the product is delivered: 

  • Providing richer information - The enhanced format gives you access to more detailed forecast information allowing you to assess forecast wind and temperature changes against your own operational thresholds and requirements. 

  • Aligning with international practice - The enhanced format aligns more closely with the way wind and temperature forecasts are provided internationally, while removing the long, overlapping change periods in the current product that can be confusing to interpret. 

  • Moving to a fully automated product - The AAW production process is already highly automated, and this change helps complete that transition. 

  • Modernising our technology - The current product relies on legacy systems for production and delivery.  As part of our broader technology strategy, we are moving products onto more modern and resilient platforms to support reliable service delivery into the future. 

 

What do you need to do? 

  • No action is required. 

  • The product will continue to be delivered through existing channels. 

  • The change simply enhances the information available within the product output. 

 When will the change happen?

This change is scheduled for implementation on 14 October 2026. We will let you know if there are any changes to that timeline.